Reap the Wild Wind

[Majestic instrumental music]

[Lively orchestral music]

[Slow romantic instrumental music]

[Slow instrumental music]

NARRATOR:
1840. America's

lifeline is the sea.

Railroads are aimost unknown.

Only the great sailing ships link

the busy states of New England...

with the rich Mississippi Valley.

The sea, and the sea alone,

makes America one nation.

But aiong this lane of commerce...

lie the shark-like teeth

of the Fiorida Keys...

where savage hurricanes come

screaming out of the Caribbean...

to drive tail ships onto

the destroying shoals.

Here, storm-riding men

and frail schooners...

the salvage masters of Key West...

stand guard beside America's lifeline.

They reap the harvest

of the wild wind...

fighting the hurricanes to save lives

and cargo from the wrecked vessels.

[Ominous instrumental music]

NARRATOR:
But tales of

great salvage profits...

have drawn reckless men to

this dangerous harvest...

spawn of the seven seas.

So among Fiorida's

heroic salvage masters...

appear lawless captains...

who plot to destroy,

for their own profit...

the great ships they

are pledged to save.

America's very future on the

sea is being fought for...

beside the roaring reefs of Key West.

[Dramatic instrumental music]

[Wind howling]

[Twittering]

You men! Lash Capt. Stuart

to the mizzen fife rail!

SAILOR:
Breakers off the starboard bow!

Lay forward and rig a preventer

stay! I'll take the wheel.

[Waves crashing]

Get going! Go on!

[Wind howling]

Breakers dead ahead!

[Ominous instrumental music]

[Sailor screams]

[Crashing]

I ain't through. I'm gonna

take out another ship.

MAN 1:
While you're still a young man.

Hark, ye!

MAN 2:
Who's hollering?

MAN 3:
I don't know.

MAN 2:
Quiet. It sounds to me like...

MAN 4:
Wreck ashore!

MAN 5:
Wreck ashore, men!

[All shouting]

Sam! Loose your forestay sail

and your mainsail and stand by.

Better move fast, Capt. Phil, or

Cutler will beat us to our share again.

PHIL:
I'll be there. You single up.

SAM:
Get the boss. We'll be ready.

MAN 1:
Where did she take the bottom?

MAN 2:
She won't be long in that sea!

SAM:
Ciaiborne men, board!

MAN 4:
What vessel struck? MAN 5:

Don't know. She'll soon break up.

MAN 5:
What reef? MAN 6:

Claiborne men, look alive!

Be careful, Pa. And bring me back a nice

piece of black silk for a Sunday dress.

[Wind howling]

PHIL:
Ahoy, Loxi!

Loxi Claiborne! You come right

down from that widow's walk.

You'll blow away up there, Cousin Loxi.

Can you sight her, Loxi?

She's on Sambo Key, driven hard!

What ship?

Looks like the Jubilee

of the Devereaux line.

She's breaking up fast, too.

Jubilee! Why her cargo's

dead rich. Come on, gal!

LOXi:
I'm worried about

the crew. PHIL:
Crew?

Consarn it! Ain't no

money salvaging the crew!

MRS. CLAIBORNE:
You're not

going out to that wreck!

DRUSILLA:
Mercy! Stay covered.

LOXi:
Bring along my petty

skirt, Drusilla honey.

MRS. CLAIBORNE:
Loxi, once and for all...

LOXi:
I'm not going anyplace, hardly!

Maum Maria, help me rig for wrecking.

Now, Miss Loxi, you know

what way your mama thinks...

about you going after them wrecks.

Trying to make a lady out of her

is keeping me wore to a shadow.

- Give me my sea boots.

- Your mama say...

Loxi, I forbid you.

The Cutlers won't pick the bones

of this wreck, if I can help it.

- How will you stop them?

- We'll be broke if I don't.

What's Drusilla going to tell

the family back in Havana?

We can't run a salvage

business without salvage.

Loxi, I think you're so

brave going out to that wreck.

Brave! Fiddle-de-dee!

She's just pigheaded.

- Lf only your father were alive!

- Throw me that southwester.

If Father were alive, I

wouldn't be running the business.

Loxi!

You found your anchor? Land

o' Goshen! Crank on, will you?

LOXi:
I'm coming, Capt. Phil.

Loxi, I worry every

time you go a-wrecking.

The hurricane's all over, Mummy.

Your mama say you ain't going!

Maybe we better let her go.

[Adventurous instrumental music]

[Singing] Oh, the Nellie B's your

packet and you're far away from home

And it breaks your back to tack it

Larboard, half a pint!

Haui away Just the same as me

For you're nothing but a packet rat

PHIL:
Tail onto that foresheet and

trim her! SAILOR: Aye, Capt. Phil.

[Singing] Aboard the Nellie B

Bread and water for your supper

when you board the Nellie B

The Moro's fallen astern, Capt. Phil.

We'll speak the wreck ahead of them all!

- Wreck ho!

- Where away?

Dead ahead on Sambo Key!

[Singing] And your biood runs down

her scuppers in the briny, shiny

[Wind howling]

There she lies.

LOXi:
The Faicon's lying close by.

LOXi:
The Cutlers are there before us!

SAM:
Them forecastle rats must've known.

No man alive can foretell a

wreck. Unless he plans it himself.

We'll get no part of her rich cargo.

Cutler and his brother

are boarding her now.

[Men shouting]

- Come on. Get aboard.

- King, look there.

Put a shot across the

bow of the Ciaiborne.

- Yeah. We salvage this wreck!

- Aye, aye, sir!

Ready? Turn your pipe

into that touchhole.

[Cannon firing]

Can't even shoot straight.

- Ram that pirate. Ram her, Capt. Phil!

- And sink us both?

- Land of love, gal! Heave to.

Lower the dory. - Aye, sir.

[Chuckling]

- That stopped them.

- Get to work on that cargo, Dan.

You Faicon men, break open that hatch.

I'm in command here. Capt.

Stuart's taking a little rest.

- We got hurt men aboard.

- We'll move them later.

- You'll move them now!

- My brother said later!

We're going to save this

cargo for you, boys...

whether you like it or not.

MAN:
Forward!

- Have any trouble with the skipper?

- He never knew what hit him.

- I'm expecting a fat bit for this, Mr.

Cutler. - You'll be taken care of, Widgeon.

Here. Sign this.

Pull her close! Hang on, Loxi.

Ahoy, Cutier!

We demand salvage shares in this vessel.

I'm taking charge of the

cargo. You take the crew.

Ain't no pay for that,

you benighted blowfish!

- Take them anyway. He'd let them drown!

- All right!

Jump into the mizzen and

rig the crow jack yard.

MAN:
Aye, Dan. KING: Make it lively!

[Monkey chattering]

Get off me, you filthy...

[Monkey shrieking]

Quick! Give me an oar.

The poor little fellow.

Grab it! There's a squid out there!

Poor fellow.

Here, take him. Set me aboard that hulk.

Now, Loxi!

Has the water got to that cargo?

Who pitched that little

monkey into the sea?

Get off this deck, or there'll

be two of you in the sea.

You weaselling crimp! I'll

coil your rope for you!

Over the side, you men!

CREWMAN:
What'll we do? Walk?

KING:
The Ciaiborne's waiting.

- Who's that?

- The skipper.

You better get him off before

we start swinging cargo.

KING:
Get your men off this ship!

Larboard to helm! Larboard your...

Don't fret your head till

it's in one piece again.

Widgeon! Where's that...

Take it easy. The salvage

boats are standing by.

[Men yelling]

Lie still. They're

taking off the crew now.

- Who are you? What're you doing here?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes